72 CATALOGUE, 



calling to it by its name, it looked up, distinguished me in the crowd, 

 started on its legs, and on my applying my hand to its mouth to smell to, 

 it threw itself down against the bars, rubbed its head, neck, and back 

 against my hand, and then started on its legs and bounded about its 

 cage, uttering short cries. On ceasing to speak to it and moving 

 away, it stopped and looked wistfully after me, nor resumed its mo- 

 tions until I addressed it again. Its manifestations of joy were so 

 unequivocal as to excite the surprise of a great number of bystanders. 

 As these pleasing traits in the disposition of a calumniated animal 

 appeared so new to those who surrounded me on that occasion, they 

 may possibly be deemed of sufficient interest to be worthy of extended 

 promulgation by record in our Proceedings. 



" I take occasion to repeat my conviction, that association with man, 

 constant kindness, and abundance of food, will suffice not only to mo- 

 dify, and indeed eradicate, the worst traits in the disposition of any 

 animal of the higher classes, but give birth to others of which their 

 natures were not deemed susceptible." 



Colonel Sykes's observations are confirmed both by Mr. E. T. Ben- 

 nett and by Bishop Heber. " Notwithstanding the brutal voracity of 

 the habits of the Hyaena, and the savage fierceness of his disposition, 

 there is scarcely any animal that submits with greater facility to the 

 control of man. In captivity, especially when taken young, a circum- 

 stance on which much depends in the domestication of all wild animals, 

 he is capable of being rendered exceedingly tame, and even serviceable. 

 In some parts of Southern Africa, the spotted species, which is by 

 nature quite as ferocious in his temper as the striped inhabitant of 

 the north, has been domiciliated in the houses of the peasantry, among 

 whom he is preferred to the dog himself for attachment to his master, 

 for general sagacity, and even, it is said, for his qualifications for the 

 chase." (Bennett, Tower Menagerie, pp. 75, 76.) Bishop Heber 

 (Travels, I. p. 500) remarks : " Another instance fell under my 

 knowledge of how much the poor Hyaena is wronged, when he is 

 described as untameable. Mr. Traill (at Almorah) had one several 

 years, which followed him about like a dog, and fawned on those with 

 whom he was acquainted in almost the same manner." 



Captain Hutton informs us that the Hyaena is common in Afghanis- 

 tan. (Rough Notes on the Zoology of Candahar, c., Journ. As. Soc. 

 Beng. XIV. p. 345.) 



